Manatee Performing Arts Center
New Four Story Structure
By: Jay Handelman - Apr 20, 2026
From the window of his second floor office in the Manatee Performing Arts Center, Producing Artistic Director Rick Kerby can see his company’s future under construction.
Kerby leads the Manatee Players community theater, the resident company at the nearly $20 million center that opened in 2013. But the organization quickly outgrew the center that offers two theaters, offices, costume and scenic storage and construction space and a large rehearsal room that also doubles as a meeting and event venue for numerous organizations and local businesses.
Outside Kerby’s window, on a strip of land just to the west, a $12.6 million four-story building is under construction that will be known as Sara’s Studios, named for Sara Bayard, who with her husband, Steve, has been the company’s largest donor.
It will house multiple rehearsal spaces for the theater’s shows on two floors, small studios for private instrumental and voice lessons by local teachers, administrative offices and a top floor for rehearsals by the Pops Orchestra of Bradenton and Sarasota and other local music ensembles.
“My office has the best view of the construction and everyday I’m amazed at how quickly it’s going,” Kerby said.
Janene Amick, the CEO and self-proclaimed chief cheerleader of the center’s parent organization, the Florida Cultural Group, expects to move into the new building by January. Kerby admits that he had doubts about the timing because construction projects rarely run on time. “But watching how it’s going I think we’ll probably be there.”
He won’t be able to watch the progress through completion because the administrative offices will be removed by a bridge connecting the two buildings.
Amick, who has been involved with the organization since 2005, spearheaded the final push for funding and construction of the performing arts center building. She has been trying to find a way to add space to the performing arts center for at least six years.
She initially arranged to purchase the former GTE building in downtown Bradenton from Manatee County for a rehearsal and studio building. That deal closed in 2022, but then “the county came to us and said we need the property back” to make way for a new parking garage,” she said. The center was reimbursed for all its expenses, including architectural designs and asbestos studies.
Amick said the need for more space was great.
“It’s amazing to say we have run out of space, but we have. It has stifled programs. We promised our actors new rehearsal spaces, but sometimes they have to be in the lobby for a rehearsal at 7 even with a show inside the theater at 7:30,” she said. “It is not uncommon on a Saturday to have five events in a day.”
The event/rehearsal space on the second floor is constantly busy, meaning that crews working on shows have to remove everything before leaving so the room can be turned around for the next meeting or banquet.
Amick said her organization reached an agreement with Bradenton Riverfront Partners LLC2, which was selling adjacent land for a proposed apartment complex, and there was a small spit of land that wasn’t going to be used.
That’s where contractors are creating the four-story, 28,600 square foot addition, which will meet the height of the theater’s stage house at 74 feet. The small practice studios will be available for rent at a minimal amount, perhaps $10 an hour, she said.
“We want to allow teachers to engage with students in a safe environment,” she said. “I’ve spoken to some teachers and they don’t teach as much as they used to because they don’t like kids being in their house.”
There will be two rehearsal rooms on the second floor and two more on the third floors. They will have sprung floors with Marley overlays for dance rehearsals, as well as full walls of mirrors and ballet barres.
“We could do a mainstage show rehearsal in the bigger space, and the larger room has one way viewing so parents can watch their kids while they’re rehearsing,” Amick said.
On the third floor, there will also be a full recording studio with audio and lighting capabilities.
“We want to bring to Manatee classes, audio engineering. People can learn to run our boards how to equalize a voice. No one wants to learn on the side. We will be able to provide real live learning during a show in our Stone Hall.”
Musical opportunities
The fourth floor was a last-minute addition after conversations Amick had with Robyn L. Bell, the music director of the The Pops, which was looking for potential new space for rehearsals.
Amick recently provided office space for The Pops in a former boutique in the theater’s lobby.
The Pops has rehearsed for about 17 years at State College of Florida, where Bell was on the music faculty. Since leaving the faculty, she has realized how many conflicts with classes and other groups were limiting availability.
“I was just lamenting with Janene about space. I love our relationship with the college, which is fantastic, and the facilities are incredible, but the week I had to find a whole different place to rehearse because academics have to come first. Janene came back the next day and said, ‘If I can add a fourth floor do you think the Pops and other ensembles could utilize the space.’ I said that would be awesome.”
The idea is for The Pops to use the 3,000 square foot room with 18-foot ceilings for its rehearsals. It also could be used by such other groups as the Manatee Community Concert Band, Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble, Florida Gulf Coast Flute Choir and perhaps Strings Con Brio.
“I had told Janene that my dream was to start a youth orchestra if we had a dedicated space where we could do that, so I’m excited to have educational outreach for a youth orchestra.”
Youth programs will also be expanded for the Manatee Players once the new building is completed.
“We have no room to expand our education programs,” Kerby said. “Our kids are only rehearsing on Saturdays and basically in the summer when the space is available. The idea of having an education program that meets the needs of our community is really important to me.”
It would also allow him to vary rehearsal schedules and expand adult programs.
“As wonderful and gigantic as our new building seemed when we first moved in, it’s amazing how quickly we have outgrown it,” Kerby said.
As of early April, Amick said the company had raised all but $1.5 million needed to complete the project.
A new season
Kerby, who joined the Manatee Players in 2003, is eager for the building to be finished to make it easier to rehearse the shows he recently announced for the 2026-27 season for the company’s mainstage Stone Hall and the smaller Kiwanis Studio Theatre.
The Manatee Players will be presenting several local community theater premieres, including “Dear Evan Hansen” and “Come From Away” (which also is on the Venice Theatre’s season schedule), as well as Brandon Jacobs Jenkins’ acclaimed play “Appropriate,” about a family reckoning with their father’s racist beliefs; a stage version of Dan Brown’s book “The DaVinci Code”; and “Carrie the Musical,” a one-time Broadway flop that has become a cult favorite.
“I feel like we were lucky to be fast tracked for a couple of things,” he said. “We’re the first in the area to produce ‘Dear Evan Hansen,’ and even though Asolo Rep just produced ‘Come From Away,’ we’re the first community theater to grab it. And I hear the actors are excited by ‘Alice by Heart,’ a show not done very often. I became aware of it because of the actors.”
“Alice by Heart” is a variation on “Alice in Wonderland” set during the World War II blitz in England.
The company also will produce “Fame,” a stage version of the popular film and television series about students in a performing arts high school, and the musical “Anastasia,” which is based on the animated film with a book by Terrence McNally and a score by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty.
There are also classics, such as “Arsenic and Old Lace,” “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and “Guys and Dolls.”
Kerby said it is important to combine shows with familiar name recognition and shows that community actors want to perform in.
Manatee Players 2026-27 season
502 Third Avenue West, Bradenton
941-748-5875; manateeperformingartscenter.com
Mainstage Stone Hall
“Fame,” Aug. 6-16
“Dear Evan Hansen,” Oct. 22-Nov. 1
“Anastasia,” Dec. 3-13
“Come From Away,” Jan. 21-31
“Alice by Heart,” March 4-14
“Guys and Dolls,” April 22-May 2
Kiwanis Studio Theatre
“Arsenic and Old Lace,” Sept. 3-13
“Carrie the Musical,” Oct. 15-Nov. 1
“The DaVinci Code,” Jan. 14-24
“Appropriate,” Feb. 18-28
“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” April 8-18
. Learn more at ArtsBeat.org.